Oversoul
by shupagirl
Summary: When the group met Yoh's younger sister, they didn't expect her to be so feisty nor did they expect her to be so self-confident. As she joins them in their quest to win the Shaman Tournament, they don't realize that they would experience so many bumps in the road along the way. Especially since there's something so off-putting about Asakura Kali. Please read and review. No flames.
1. Asakura Kali

**So this is the first official chapter of the newly revised version of Oversoul! It's gonna be a whole lot better, guys! There's going to be more twists and turns, more characters, more plot and character development, and in better writing too! I hope you guys enjoy! Thank you to all my loyal readers! I love you all. **

* * *

**Chapter One: Asakura Kali**

"Do you think he'll remember me?" The short, young girl asked.

"I don't know." Chikushou gave her an indifferent shrug. "Weren't you _seven_ when you last saw him?"

"It hasn't been that long. It's only been three years."She said.

"But you've grown a lot since then." She replied.

The latter sighed. "I guess so."

After walking a few blocks, she stopped in front of a small house.

It was eerily silent, but she wasn't the slightest bit scared; even the howling wind and shining moonlight didn't scare her.

"Chi," She spoke softly as she smiled to herself. "Someone's coming."

Chikushou immediately transformed into a spirit ball and hid.

Footsteps; small and noisy ones.

Even after three years, the sound of her footsteps _still_ hasn't changed.

A smirk spread across her face.

She turned around, successfully blocking the sudden attack with her clawed gauntlet.

"Anna," She greeted cockily.

The blonde itako huffed, watching her pair of Shikigamis pummel on the floor from the impact.

"Katsumi." Anna retaliated.

She took a deep breath, "It's Kali."

The latter said nothing in response.

Soon, other voices approached them. Recognizing one of them, Kali's face brightened up.

"Onii-chan!" She said cheerily.

"Onii-chan?" A small, pre-school-like kid whom Kali barely noticed, questioned.

Kali proceeded to tackle the taller one with a hug.

He chuckled a little, "Do I know you?"

Kali froze, wanting to hit the living daylight out of her _'onii-chan'._

"Yoh, don't be stupid." Anna interjected.

"Onii-chan, it's _me_." Kali said. "It's K—"

"Kali?" He finished in question.

"That's right." She grinned.

"Wait, can someone tell me what's going on?" The short one asked.

Yoh shot him an amused smile.

* * *

"Sister? This is your sister?" The short kid – whose name was apparently _Manta _– asked for what felt like the sixteenth time.

"Yes, Manta. She's my sister." Yoh replied calmly.

"How can you not tell me you have a sister?" Manta practically shrieked.

"You never asked." Yoh shrugged as he chuckled heartily.

A small chuckle also escaped his sister's lips as her eyes shifted from person to person.

"Manta," Anna spoke up, sipping her ramen. "Isn't it time for you to go home?"

"What do you mean, Anna? It's only – YIKES." The little guy's eyes widened as he saw the time. With that, he bid his goodbyes to the remaining three and shot out of the place like lightning.

"Alright, now that the midget is out of the way," Anna placed her hands on the table. "I'll leave you two to catch up."

Before she slid the door shut, Anna shot them one last dirty look and said, "I want absolutely _no_ disturbances, especially when my show comes on."

She disappeared from their sight once she shut the sliding door.

"So," Kali coughed. "Onii-chan."

"Yeah?" Yoh's face visibly fell a little.

"Aren't you going to ask me anything? No _'how's it going'_ or _'how have you been'_?" She questioned.

"Only one question comes to mind: Where have you been all these years?" He asked in a dark tone that Kali never knew existed.

"Where have _I _been? Everywhere." She smirked slightly.

"Kali—" The younger sensed a scolding coming on and thus cut him off.

"Onii-chan, look; these past three years have been a living hell and frankly, I don't want to talk about it." She explained. "Now I'm back, wanting to get on a fresh start in life. Can't my big brother help me with that?"

Yoh's expression notably softened, relieving Kali.

"Fine. I'll scold you another day." He said, reaching over the table to give her hair a good tousle; just like when they were little.

"You never _were_ good at scolding me. You always ended up feeling bad and buying me ice cream afterwards." Kali laughed at the memory.

Yoh chuckled, "You still remember all that?"

"Of course. It was—"

"Yooohhh! I'm hungry!" A loud, obnoxious voice came.

"EHHH, onii-chan! You can't eat now! You have training in less than an hour!" A high female voice followed.

"But Pirika! I can't train on an empty sto—"

The door opened, revealing a pair of azure-haired shamans. (presumably)

"—mach." The boy finished. "Wow, Yoh. Where'd you get the babe?"

_Tch. How boorish. _Kali winced at the last word, but immediately put on a smile thereafter.

"Horohoro, Pirika," Yoh stood up, dusting the bottom of his pants. "I believe you haven't met _Asakura Kali_, my younger sister."

"_Dude_, you have a sister too?" Horohoro's eyes stayed glued on the unfamiliar girl. "Are you sure? She's too pretty to be related to you."

This earned him a smack upside his head from his sister. "Onii-chan! This is no time to gawk at strange girls! You should be focusing on your Shaman training!"

"Shaman training?" Kali stood up as well. "You're shamans too?"

Horohoro intended to answer but Pirika beat him to it. "Yes, that's right. And don't bother even _trying_ to enter the tournament. My brother is the _best _Shaman there is; he's invincible!"

Kali, amused, crossed her arms across her chest and stared Pirika straight in the eye. "I'll have you know that _I_ happen to be one of the strongest Shamans you ever had the privilege to meet."

Pirika snorted, "Ha! You? With your skinny body and frail features?"

Kali had half a mind to knock this girl unconscious, but she was more dignified than that. "Look, _Pirika_," She cleared her throat. "I may not look like it but I'm probably stronger than _both_ of you and your brother put together. When I earned my Oracle bell, I set a new record by being able to hit Magna in less than three minutes." She continued. "Not only that, but I won three out of three Shaman fights and am now an official competitor."

"Wow, Kali! I was only able to win _two_ battles!" Yoh fawned over his sister.

"That's nothing!" Pirika interjected. "I bet if you and my brother were to face off, you'd be on the floor two seconds into the fight!"

"Pirika, calm down—" Horohoro tried to persuade Pirika to sit down and have a nice cup of tea, but she was far too stubborn.

"Don't make me laugh, woman." Kali glared. "Do you know that within one move, I can possibly kill you?"

"Okay, _nobody's_ killing anybody!" Horohoro cried in frustration. "Come on, we're all friends here…"

"Onii-chan, I refuse to befriend this woman before me." Pirika huffed. "Now come along; it's time to start training."

Horohoro groaned as he followed her out the back.

"Kali," Yoh said under his breath.

"Yeah?" Kali answered.

His grin widened. "You haven't changed _one_ bit."


	2. Getting Settled In

**Wow, 400 reviews! I love you all! :bd**

**I'm glad I received positive response for this revised version. I promise not to disappoint, as well as try to depict it as realistically (manga-wise) as possible.**

**Oh my, I just wrote this in one sitting. I hope it's good enough. :)**

* * *

**Chapter Two: Getting Settled In**

"Good morning – Kali, is it?" The tall Ainu grinned sweetly at the bedhead before him.

"That's right." Kali was slightly amused at the pink, frilly apron tied around the boy's waist. "Have you been cooking?"

"You bet I have." He stated with much pride as he held up his oven mitt in self-glory. "I made sure to get here extra early just to make this special meal."

"Oh." She said, taking a seat on one of the floor cushions. "Yoh told me you currently live in a motel. Couldn't you and Pirika have ordered food instead?"

He looked at her confusedly. "Well, that wouldn't make any sense considering I was planning to make this hearty and healthy breakfast for _you_."

"Is that so?" She smiled. "Thank you, then. I've never had someone make food for me before – besides my mother, that is."

"Eat up, Kali." He said in an unusual honeyed tone; something Kali hasn't heard in ages. "I worked extra—"

"Oh, Horohoro. I see you're finally tending to your rightful duties." Anna suddenly arrived, looking at the fresh plates of food laid out on the table. "If only you would clean up after yourself – which you _will_."

Horohoro lost color in his face. Immediately after, he turned back and hastily cleaned up the mess he made in the kitchen.

"Kali, it's a good thing you're up as well." Anna said as she sat opposite of the younger girl. "Here," She gently tossed over a black garment of some sort, which accurately landed on Kali's lap.

As Kali unfolded it, she realized it was a black sailor-like uniform complete with a _Shinra Elementary School_ patch on it.

"What's this?" Kali asked, even when she was obviously aware that it was a school uniform.

"What do you think it is, baka?" Anna hissed. "You can borrow one of Tamao's pair of school shoes. She has a dozen of them."

Tamao was another resident at their home; she and Kali had also met beforehand. The two were of the same age but they weren't remarkably close or anything.

Horohoro's eyes perked up once he noticed Anna starting to dig in the food he had practically slaved over. "Um, Anna, I kinda made that for _Kali _to eat."

Anna glared at him, "Kali doesn't have time to eat. She needs to prepare for school."

"School?" Kali asked. "Anna, I don't want to go to school!"

"Don't be so childish, Kali." Anna reprimanded. "You're a _shaman_. You should have a different mindset than everybody else. Plus, as your future sister-in-law, I find it my responsibility to make sure you keep a stable education. Now _go_."

Kali wouldn't have budged an inch if it weren't for the frightening tone of Anna's voice. With that, she scurried off upstairs, walking over to see if Tamao was awake yet.

* * *

"I'm glad _that_ was over." Kali sighed. "How many more days do I have to endure this?"

"Just until you have to depart for America for the Shaman Tournament." Tamao replied. "The big day is nearing; you just have to wait a little bit longer."

"I guess you're right." Kali agreed. "I might as well enjoy it while I can."

As they neared the entrance, the two were startled upon the sudden appearance of a blonde girl who had the saddest eyes either of them had ever seen.

"Hi there, stranger." Kali greeted joyously. She extended her hand, attempting to start a conversation. "I'm Asakura Kali. You are?"

"Mari." She said in a voice so soft that it was practically a whisper. "_Asakura_ Kali?"

"That's right." She nodded. "Do I sound familiar to you?"

"Believe _Mari_, Kali is _really_ familiar." The way she spoke in third person piqued Kali's interest.

With that, she turned and left the two.

"She was wearing our uniform, so she must go here." Tamao said. "But I haven't seen her around here before."

Chikushou appeared beside her shaman, eyebrows knit together in suspicion. "That's because she doesn't go here." She stated, crossing her arms. "Her uniform is camouflage, and a pretty lousy one at that. Her dress is a slightly lighter shade than yours and her school patch is stapled on instead of sewn on, like yours."

Tamao's eyebrows rose at the keen observation skills of the young spirit.

"There's something awry about her." Kali puckered her lips in thought. "I sensed a spiritual aura around her. Didn't you?"

"I did, but it was minimal." Tamao said. "If she _were_ a shaman, she probably isn't a very experienced one."

Kali nodded as they proceeded to walk home.

The last words Mari had told her stuck in her mind. '_Kali is **really** familiar_.'

What does that mean?

* * *

"Kali. Tamao. You're home." Anna greeted icily. "And just in time for dinner too."

Suddenly, Ponchi and Conchi, two perverted old spirits in diapers, ran over to Tamao and hugged her legs for dear life.

"Tamao! He beat us!" Ponchi cried, tears pouring down his plump cheeks.

"We were attacked! Attacked! He was too big for us!" Conchi added, sobbing.

Tamao, distraught at the sight of her shamans, quickly ran (or waddled, since two spirits were clinging on to her legs) over to the dining room.

Yoh appeared by the door all of a sudden, "Kali, it's a good thing you're home! I want you to meet the rest of my friends. We have a full house tonight!"

As Kali and Anna followed Yoh to the dining room where everyone was gathered, Kali couldn't help but smirk at the peculiar scene of her brother's friends.

But a certain one had caught her attention.

Without even seeing his face, she knew it was him.

"Tao Ren." She smirked.


	3. He's Here

**There was something wrong with the previous chapter (it wouldn't show up) but I've fixed it now so you can check it out. :)**

**Here's a fun but useless fact: I was originally going to introduce Ren in the second chapter, but I decided to do it here in the third chapter, to honor Ren. (whose favorite number is 3)**

**Anyway, just to notify you, I recently changed my username and the summary of the story. I'm starting everything on a fresh start, y'see?**

* * *

**Chapter Three: He's Here**

"Tao Ren." She smirked.

The slim boy's eyes shot up in surprise. He's _heard_ that voice before. He knows who this girl behind him was. It just _couldn't_ be, "Asakura." He replied, trying to sound as calm as possible.

He stood up, turning around to face her. "I should've known you two were related; the same inane grin, the same childish gleam in your eyes and not to mention, that same impractical frame of mind."

"Still as arrogant as ever, I see." Kali slowly approached him, cocking one eyebrow.

"For God's sakes, Ren! You've only met her for less than a minute yet you're already shooting insults here and there!" Horohoro scolded. "Be nice for once, will `ya?"

Ren scoffed, "Oh please, _Boroboro_. I've probably known her longer than _you_ have."

"What? How?" Horohoro asked.

All of a sudden, Ren was literally tossed aside by another man who deemed unfamiliar to Kali.

With raised eyebrows, Kali looked at the tall man with googly eyes before her.

"What a beauty!" He remarked as he planted a kiss on the younger's hand.

Feeling slightly violated, Kali pulled away and looked at her brother, "Um…Yoh?"

He chuckled, "Ryu, meet my sister, Kali."

"Sister, eh?" Ryu grinned goofily.

"Forget it, Ryu. She's much too young for you." Anna said.

"Nonsense, age does—"

"She's _ten_, Ryu. _Ten_." Horohoro added.

Ryu's face (as well as his hair) fell. "Ah, I need a drink." He grumbled.

Dumbfounded, Kali turned her head, casting her eyes upon a bruised Chinese boy.

"A little injured, are we?" She asked cockily.

"Of course not." He stood, presumably trying his best to hold in the anger building up inside him.

"Oh goodness, Ren! A black eye is starting to form on your face; let me tend to it." Pirika offered.

"Thank you but _no_." Ren dismissed, taking his seat and shutting his eyes in frustration.

Kali looked at Pirika warily. _Since when did **she** care about other people besides her brother?_

* * *

"Here," Kali tossed over an ice bag, which promptly hit Ren in the cheek; his bruised cheek, to be specific. "Leaving so soon?"

Ren didn't answer and instead threw the ice bag on the grassy ground. He scowled at nothing in particular; he didn't even flinch when Kali sat beside him on the same step.

"Tch. So stubborn." She teased. "That must have been one hard blow you took back there. Your eye is still throbbing up to now."

He huffed in response. "I wasn't prepared; that didn't count. If I _were_ prepared, that bastard would've died right there on the spot."

"Don't flatter yourself." She snorted. "Besides, I though Taos were _always_ prepared; for anything, for _anyone_. That's what you told me, wasn't it? Right before I annihilated you, remember?"

"Shut up, Asakura." He hissed. "You didn't _annihilate _me. You just got lucky."

"Stop kidding yourself, Tao." She smirked. "Face it: I'm younger, stronger _and_ taller than you. And no matter how hard you try, you won't _beat_ me."

The girl's smugness was clearly bothering him but he remained silent.

He watched Kali bend down to pick up the ice bag, dust if off and place it against his face.

"Any better?" She asked sweetly.

Ren sighed, rolling his eyes.

One minute, she's full of conceit; the other, she's full of concern. This was enough to drive him crazy.

"I'm leaving." He stood and didn't look back as he left, his spirit guardian floating closely behind.

Kali looked at him intently, an amused smile spread across her face.

* * *

"So I don't get it, Kali. How did you and Ren meet?" Yoh asked.

"If you must know, _onii-chan_, Ren and I were opponents once." She explained. "We faced against each other in one of the Shaman tests. As you can tell, I _won_."

"You beat Tao Ren? How strong _are_ you, exactly?" Yoh asked curiously.

"Trust me, onii-chan: you _don't_ want to know." She patted his back. "Now if you'll excuse me, I want to turn in early tonight."

"Fine. But make sure you'll wake up in time for school tomorrow."

"Speak for yourself." She called before heading upstairs.

As she was passing Tamao's room, she couldn't help but stop and listen once she overhears a conversation.

"Oh Ponchi, Conchi." Tamao sighed. "Anna-sama tortures Yoh everyday while I do my best to make sure he's healthy and well; yet he seems to prefer her over me."

"Geez, Tamao! What do you want us to do?" Conchi said.

"Yeah! We can protect you and fight for you and all, but we can't force Yoh to love `ya!" Ponchi added.

Another sigh escaped the petite girl's lips, "I guess you're right." As she stared at the moonlight bouncing off her spirits' heads, she looked down and mumbled, "I should be going to sleep now."

Feeling slightly pitiful, Kali watched Tamao tuck herself in and turn off the floor lamp.

She always knew Tamao had liked Yoh since they were little, but she figured it would've worn off by now. Kali didn't think she would still be pining over her brother until now.

As she left the girl alone, she walked past Anna's room, where the blonde was peacefully sleeping.

Tamao was right: all Anna does is torture Yoh. But why does he love her so?

Kali never really understood their story, but she believed in the two.

With that, she finally entered her room and locked the door behind her.

* * *

"Good morning, Kali." Chikushou greeted chirpily.

"G'morning." The latter replied. "Is Anna awake?"

"Yeah, but she and Yoh left for school already." She said. "Why?"

"Well, let's just say," Kali sat down, putting on her sneakers. "I don't plan on going to school today."

The spirit's eyes widened. "What? Why? Do you realize Anna will kill you when she finds out?"

"_If_ she finds out – which she won't." Kali stated. "We don't even go to the same school; she and Yoh are in another building."

She sighed. "Fine, fine. It's _your_ funeral."

Kali chuckled. "You worry too much."

* * *

"See, Chi? You just need to breathe in the fresh air, listen to the birds sing and enjoy life." Kali said as she strolled around the park.

"How the hell do you manage to stay so laid-back all the time?"

"Practice." She shrugged. Suddenly, her muscles tensed. "Dammit, Chi."

"What? What's wrong?" Chikushou asked.

"_He's _here." Kali said softly.

"Who?"

"That would be _me_." A deep, throaty voice answered.

As Chikushou turned around, she gasped.


	4. All Aboard

**This chapter shows a lot of interactions between Ren and Kali. :D -cheers-**

* * *

**Chapter Four: All Aboard**

"Hao." Kali said. "What are _you_ doing here?"

"I'm just dropping by to give you this." Hao moved closer to the shorter girl, handing over a scroll of paper that looked rather old. "I thought you might need it."

She opened it, realizing it was a map. "What is it?"

"It's directions to Patch Village." He revealed.

"What?" Chikushou blurted out. "This is cheating! Shamans are supposed to find Patch Village by themselves; it's part of the test!"

"Chi, stand down." Kali ordered. "Hao, why are you giving me this?"

"I thought I should help out my sister." He shrugged as if he were someone innocent. "That's a brother's job, right?"

"Quite frankly, since when do you care about being a brother?" She asked cockily.

Hao chuckled a little. "Just let me know if you're in need of any help, okay?"

Before Kali _or_ Chikushou could even respond, Hao vanished.

"He's a strange person, isn't he?" Kali smiled.

"Is that _all_ that you can say?" Her spirit asked. "Anyway, what're you gonna do with that map now?"

"I'll be keeping it to myself." She shrugged. "Why?"

"What, you're not gonna tell Yoh?"

"Of course not. Because then, he would ask me how I got this, then I'd have to tell him about Hao." She explained. "And I promised Hao that he would have the honor of telling Yoh that he has an evil twin brother."

"Tch. How could you even make such a promise to that guy? He's despicable." She grimaced.

Kali chuckled, "Calm down, Chi. When the time comes, we'll be kicking his ass so hard that his children will feel it."

* * *

**THAT NIGHT**

"Tao Ren," Kali smirked, recognizing the shorter figure in the dark. "My, my. What are the likes of _you_ doing here?"

"It's none of your business, Asakura." He hissed. "Now run along, will you?"

"Don't talk to me like I'm a child." She said.

"You're _ten_, you _are_ a child." He said

"You're _twelve_; you're not even a teenager." She countered.

"And how do you know that?"

"Well, that's really none of your business now, _is_ it?" She smirked once again. "So. What are _you_ doing on this 'special night' before we leave Tokyo?"

"Quite frankly, I'm getting very irritated by all your questions." He said. "Must you go on with your life asking questions all the time?"

"I don't need questions; I need answers. That's _why_ I ask questions." She explained. "Fool."

"And why do you need an answer to this question?" He asked. "Are you really that pathetic that you'd go around wondering what people do?"

"Actually, I could care less about you." She shrugged. "I'm just being sociable, s'all."

"Well, stop it." He said. "It's sickening. And to be sociable, you have to be friends, and Taos aren't friends with _anyone_."

"Yeah, I kinda figured that out the first time we met." She said. "You looked so lonely and angry. Later on, I realized that was how you usually look."

He responded with a roll of the eyes. "Do you gain _anything_ from being cocky?"

"I don't know, do _you?" _She retaliated.

He didn't answer. It wasn't that he hadn't a wise answer to her reply, but he just didn't want to waste any more time talking to an Asakura.

Of course, neither of them had been aware that they had started walking now. That fact didn't bother them; the fact that each other was present _did_ bother them though.

* * *

"Look at the view." It annoyed Kali that she was the one to initiate every conversation they had. Of course, she knew that she didn't even have to talk to him, let alone stick by his side. But for some reason, she just couldn't leave. And she just wouldn't stay quiet. "It's beautiful, isn't it?"

"What do _you_ know about beautiful?" He asked. With every word Kali made, Ren would reply with something unbelievably brash. "You haven't _seen _beautiful if you haven't been in China. China has the best views, especially over the mountain tops."

Kali paused. "I haven't been to China. But I want to go."

"Why don't you?"

"Can't." She rebutted simply. "I can't afford it. And I don't think they'd let someone as young as me board a plane _alone_, anyway."

"That's why I only ride family private jets." He huffed.

"You should take me there sometime." She said, nudging his shoulder, which surprised the older boy. "You'll take me there, won't you?"

"Stop acting so immature." He said, avoiding her gaze.

"Come on, Ren. Just for one day? Please?" She begged.

"If it'll make you shut the hell up, then fine, _fine_." He groaned. "I'll take you to China for God's sake."

Kali clapped her hands in joy. "That's a promise, Tao Ren. And you can't break it, got it?"

Ren waved his hand at her dismissively. This was just an idle promise, it won't last long. She'll probably forget about it soon anyway.

He didn't really mean it anyway. The girl was so talkative that he just had to say yes to shut her up. She was probably only doing this to annoy him anyway.

After a few long moments of silence, Ren hadn't even noticed that Kali had gotten so quiet.

As he turned to glance at her, he realized her lips had turned blue. When he looked at her the second time, he noticed her shoulders were shaking.

But that was none of his business. He could care less whether she'd freeze to death or not.

"Where are you going?" asked Kali.

"Nowhere." He replied bluntly.

"You must be going _somewhere_. You're walking so, obviously, you're going _somewhere_."

"Why do you even want to know?"

"I don't know." She shrugged, smiling. "Does it matter?"

"Yes, it does." He said. "Would it kill you to keep quiet for at least five minutes?"

"If it bothers you _that_ much," She started. "I don't really care."

Exasperated, he turned around and started walking in the opposite direction.

"Hey!" Kali called as jogged to catch up with him. "If we're gonna spend the night together, you might as well be _civil_."

"_Who _said we were gonna spend the night together?"

"_I_ just did, _stupid_." She jeered as they started slowing their pace.

"Call me that _one_ more time and I promise you, I _will_ kill you."

Kali smirked. "Stupid." She mumbled.

Ren turned to glare at her, but he did nothing more.

A hearty chuckle escaped Kali's lips. "Just as I thought: you wouldn't dare lay a hand on me. Now it makes more sense why you lost to me."

"For the last time, _Asakura,_ shut the hell up." Ren warned.

"Fine." She agreed, rubbing her hands together to warm them. "But I'll have you know that I'm not doing so on your behalf. I'm doing this on my will."

Until dawn came, Kali didn't quite keep her promise though. She would still say a few things that were of trivial matter every now and then, mostly just to annoy the older boy, but for the rest of the time, she managed to stay _fairly_ quiet.

Of course, neither of them had a choice but to head to the airport _together_.

* * *

As Ren and Kali arrived at the airport, they were taken aback by the crowds of Shamans awaiting their flights.

"Are you hungry?" asked Kali.

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't." He said. "But I don't think I'd be accustomed to eating anything here."

"You're such a prissy." She said. "Just because it isn't served to you on a silver platter, it doesn't mean the food is awful."

"I beg to differ." He said. "I think I know more about what food is good and what food is bad more than you do."

"Maybe you do." She admitted. "But I'm more street-smart compared to you. Here, try this."

Using a pair of chopsticks, Kali fed him a newly cooked piece of sushi. Although he attempted to protest, Kali managed to make him swallow it.

"That wasn't so bad now, wasn't it?" She asked.

"Surely, you jest." He asked, wiping his mouth and later, spitting on the floor. "Don't do that again or I just might kill you."

"You didn't succeed the first time. You think you'd succeed the second time?" She smirked.

"Keep annoying me and maybe I will." He threatened.

"Oh, stop with your empty threats." She said. "Now, do you see _any_ of the guys? Horo? Yoh? Ryu?"

"Ugh, I'd rather _not_." He said in dismay. "But unfortunately, it's a must."

"That's right, pretty boy. It's a _must_." She mocked.

"What did you just call me?"

"Pretty boy. Why, you got a problem with that?"

"Tch." Ren turned away to blush. "It's so…_cheap_."

"Hmph. At first, I thought 'shortie' would be more fitting," She said. "But now I realize that 'midget' is much more degrading. Problem, you _midget_?"

"Now, look here, Asakura—"

"Ren! Kali! There you guys are!" A loud voice neared them. "Over here!"

As they both turned, they realized Horohoro was waving at the two to go over to them.

While they managed not to get at each other's throats, we approached them with dark expressions.

"Whoa, what happened to _you_ two?" Ryu inquired.

"Nothing." Ren dismissed. "Now, shall we go now?"

"Not on my watch." Suddenly, a gust of wind blew against us, making Kali's lengthy hair fly.

_No, not here, not now._

"Ha. You dare talk so casually with us, huh? Are you trying to pick a fight?" Horohoro taunted.

Kali wished Horohoro had kept his mouth shut, especially when her friend was flung onto the concrete wall by the red, giant spirit behind the _too_ familiar man.

"Oh man, what _is_ that thing?" Yoh cried as he and Ryu stared at the figure in awe and horror.

"_That_ is the Spirit of Fire." He smiled. "His temper is rather different from mine; it's easily upset. So choose your words nicely when you talk to the future king, Hao."

"How pretentious," Ren rebuffed. "You're _no_ king."

"Tut, tut, tut." Hao teased. "My, my, what a temper we have here." He sent a smirk at Ren's direction. "Anyway, the reason I'm here is because I'm impressed by what I've seen with you, _Yoh_, so far. I believe you can make a good lackey for me in the future. Dear Yoh, you must _win_ every fight for me, the future Shaman King."

And with that, Hao and all his allies had disappeared.

* * *

It was about thirty minutes after they had boarded the plane. While everyone else was sitting peacefully in their seats, Kali, however, had locked herself in the bathroom.

She felt panicked; nervous for no good reason. She _knows_ Hao was violent. She knows he's brutal and pitiless. She knows he's the enemy.

But seeing him just throw Horohoro around like that, it scared her a bit. What would _he_ do to _her_ if she upset him? Would he burn her? Would he just outright _kill_ her?

It makes her realize that she's been a little _too_ casual with Hao as of late. And boy, what a big mistake that was.

"Kali? What's the matter?" She felt her youthful spirit emerge behind her.

"Chi," She replied, splashing some cold water on her face. "How's Horo?"

"Could be better." She shrugged. "He's still grumbling about Hao back there."

Kali chuckled a little before unlocking the door and stepping out. Suddenly it hit her that she had to pass through Hao and his minions to get to her seat.

Of course, it would be impossible to _not_ be spotted.

"Kali," called Hao. "Come and sit."

Her eyes darted to him as he patted the empty space beside him.

"No thank you." She confuted.

When talking to Hao, she had taught herself to block out most – if not, _all_ thoughts in her mind. She was well aware of Hao's telepathy, and she wasn't fond of it one bit.

"Why not?" Kali winced as she watched a smirk creep across Hao's lips. "We're good, aren't we?"

"Hao, not now." She shook her head as she started to walk away. "Please."

She heard him chuckle a little as she approached her friends.

"Damn it! How _dare_ he attack me?" Horohoro cursed. "I swear to God, I am going to teach him a lesson!"

"Is that _still_ bothering you?" Kali asked as she positioned herself beside her brother.

"Of course it is." He sulked. "I'm sitting on the same plane as him; that bothers me too."

Yoh turned around to look. Hao responded with a seemingly friendly wave.

The others groaned as the idiotic Yoh waved back.

"Don't wave at him, for God's sake." Ren griped.

A few hours later, the boys had fallen asleep, forgetting their worries for once. It all seemed so eerily quiet, even though a lot of Shamans on board were conversing with each other.

"I saw you talking to him."

Kali turned to face Ren, whom for once, had been the one to actually _start _the conversation instead of the other way around.

"Excuse me?" asked Kali.

"You. And that Hao kid." Ren said without making eye contact. "You two were talking."

"Oh. Yeah." She said. "What, aren't I allowed to talk to other people?"

"I don't think your brother would like you socializing with people as dangerous as him." He stated. "Not that it's any of my business."

Kali replied with a sigh, and no more. She looked back at Hao's way. As if he had been reading her mind, (and he probably was) he looked at her direction as well.

He grinned and sent a gracious wave towards her.

And it was probably a very stupid thing to do, but she waved back.

"Oh for God's sakes…" Ren grumbled behind her.

She chuckled in amusement.


	5. Fear Itself

**Chapter Five: Fear Itself**

Kali stood up in great irritation, dusting herself off while she bit her tongue to keep from saying any words she would regret.

"I do _not_ appreciate being thrown off a plane 1200 ft high." She complained, though not really expecting an answer.

Fortunately, most of the shamans had managed to land safely with the help of their Oversouls. But it took up a lot of energy, especially for Chikushou, who tends to run out of energy rather quickly.

Amidamaru, who showed concern for the young spirit, immediately floated over to see if she was okay.

Yoh slung his arm around his sister's neck with an amused smile painted across his face, "I don't know what to tell you, Kali. But it looks like our spirits have something going on."

"Just to be clear, are you talking about _our_ spirits, as in our _souls_ or something – or Amidamaru and Chikushou?"

"Amidamaru and Chikushou, of course." He chuckled heartily.

"Dimwits," although Ren muttered that insult under his breath, Kali and her sharp sense of hearing was still able to catch it.

"Nobody asked you, you midget." She hissed.

"Watch your mouth, Asakura." He spat out.

"_You_ watch your tone, Tao." She warned.

"Okay, stop it, you two." Amidamaru interjected. "Let's all calm ourselves and try to figure out which way to go next."

Upon hearing this, Kali unconsciously felt around her backpack, knowing that the map Hao had given her is in there. If she just revealed right there and then that they could instantly reach Patch Village within a matter of hours thanks to that very map, then everything would go smoothly. But she couldn't because like she told Chikushou, if she did, then she'd have to explain the whole thing with Hao and that's one conversation Kali's not ready to have.

"Let's just start moving," the young girl suggested. "It's better than just standing here waiting for a miracle to happen."

"She's right." Horohoro agreed. "Let's go."

Not long after, they found themselves in a quiet and deserted road with no other people around other than them. When they were greeted by an old, rickety sign informing them they were on 'ROUTE 66', Ren was quick to analyze that they were in America.

"Whoa, Ren-sama. You're so knowledgeable." Bason praised.

The group was beginning to think that maybe Bason was actually _forced_ to praise his master as much as he can. It's the only reason why anyone would bother go into raptures over the snooty boy.

* * *

Somehow, Ryu managed to contact a truck driver with his Oversoul, something that surprised all of them, even the usually stoic Ren. After driving around for a few hours, the group had resorted back to getting at each other's nerves once again.

"It wasn't luck!" Ryu insisted when Ren kept insisting that their being able to hitch a ride from a stranger going to the city was out of pure luck.

Kali had to endure their loud voices as she was a part of the circle they had formed as they sat on the back of the truck. As she looked up, she noticed Yoh sitting on the roof, the wind blowing his hair about.

Of course, it was even harder for Kali to keep her hair intact. Her hair was longer than anyone else's here; her frizzy bronze locks went all the way past her shoulders and as they rode in an open space, her hair kept getting in her face, much to her annoyance.

None of the boys really noticed or at least, didn't bother to. Horohoro and Ryu had just found a new topic to argue about, regarding something about how women with bigger chests looked better or whatnot. Ren, on the other hand, was sitting with his eyes closed and his arms folded across his chest.

When Kali let out a small squeak when she almost lost her balance due to the rickety road, Ren took a quick second to glance at her. Once he realized she was caught in one of her dillydallies once again, he turned away and shook his head in contempt at the younger girl.

Kali, with her sharp observing skills, noticed this. She looked at him with daggers in her eyes before deciding to go up on the roof of the truck to join her brother.

"Onii-chan," she called as she struggled to climb up without falling off the vehicle. "A little help here?"

He chuckled as he used one hand to hold her arm and the other to support her torso as she moved to sit with him.

"What brings you here, Kali?" He asked. "I thought you hated heights."

"That was three years ago; I've outgrown that silly fear of heights now." She stated. "Besides, I'm a _shaman_. I shouldn't be afraid of anything."

"Everyone's afraid of _something_." He told her as he wore that stupid grin of his.

"Really? What are _you_ afraid of then?" She inquired.

"That's easy," he claimed. "I'm afraid of Anna."

She chuckled, "As expected."

"So what's _yours_?" He pestered. "What's _your_ fear?"

"I told you, there's nothing I'm afraid of anymore." She said. "I'm not scared of anything."

"There's got to be _something_." He clearly was not going to drop this subject any time soon.

"I'm telling you, onii-chan," she stood up, just about ready to get down back to the back of the truck, where everybody else was. "I'm not scared of _anything_."

An amused chuckle slipped out of Yoh's lips. But his jaw soon dropped to the floor when he heard his sister let out a small scream, just right after they hit a big bump in the road. Kali, failing to grab on to something for support, ended up losing her balance and falling off the truck, into the deserted road.

"Kali!" He called, immediately peering over to look at her as they started driving further away from where she landed.

He signalled for Billy (the driver) to pull over, which was harder than it sounded considering he was blasting some of his favorite rock tunes in his car stereo. Once he managed to get him to stop the truck, he hopped off straight away and ran towards his younger sister, whom was still lying on the floor, presumably because of the sudden impact of the fall.

"Are you okay?" he asked, jogging towards her to make sure she wasn't harmed. "Kali?"

Her eyes were shut and she was completely unresponsive. But when he felt around for a pulse, fortunately he found one on her wrist. He knew the fall wasn't enough to kill her but you can't be too careful.

She sat the unconscious girl up, supporting her body weight by putting his arms around her. Her forehead was bleeding and she had a few scratches on her arms but hopefully there was nothing too serious.

"What kind of idiot falls off a moving truck?" A drawl from Ren came.

When Yoh looked back, he realized the others had gotten off as well. Horohoro bent down to take a close look at her, as did Kororo.

"She must have hit her head or something. Whatever it was managed to knock her out _hard_." He deduced.

"Well, obviously." Ren huffed as he simply took a small peek at the girl before rolling his eyes. "Why don't we just leave her here?"

Yoh chuckled, "Oh, Ren. You know we can't do that. And if we _did_, then she'd probably find us anyway."

"She's dead weight," he spat out.

"Ren, how can you talk about your friend like that?" Ryu questioned.

"She is _not_ my friend." He snapped. "I even prefer Boroboro to her."

"It's _Horohoro_," The azure-haired boy gritted his teeth in anger at him. "And that's funny because I like Kali _way_ better than I like you."

"Whatever," he waved them off. "You'll regret those words once you have to bow down to me when I'm crowned the Shaman King."

Ryu roared in laughter, "You mean when you have to bow to _me_ when _I _become king."

Soon, another argument broke out again.

* * *

Kali stirred awake after hearing something hit the wall of the room. As she shot up, a woman looked at her in surprise before bowing in apology for waking her up. The cart she had been pulling had inadvertently hit the wall thanks to an unaligned rug on the floor.

"Who are you?" The pale girl asked.

"I'm the cleaning lady, honey." She said, an affable smile forming on her small face. "I'm sorry for waking you, dear. But your friend asked me to draw you a bath so it would be ready once you awoke. It's right there in the bathroom waiting for you."

With a curt nod, the older woman left the room and closed the door, leaving Kali all alone.

Confused about almost everything right now, her one instinct was to get up and look around. Upon realizing that she was in some sort of hotel room (except not as fancy as a hotel), she came to remember the events that led her here.

She remembers screaming when they hit that damn bump in the road. She recalls falling and then afterwards, when she hit the ground, her eyelids couldn't keep themselves open.

"Chi?" Kali called when she suddenly sensed a spirit lurking around.

"Oh, hey, you're awake." Chikushou appeared in front of her, looking relieved. "You were passed out for a while there; you were beginning to scare me."

She smirked at the actual thought of her death. "I won't die, Chi. I _can't_. It's not time yet."

"You can never tell when it's time, you fool." She stated. "You can go any minute. Take me, for example. I was just three days away from my eighteenth birthday when I was murdered. I still remember that day really vividly. Those people in those stupid white suits…it was terrifying. They looked at me as if I was insane before they stabbed me."

"I know, Chi." She said, her tone becoming solemn in sympathy. "And believe me, we'll find those bastards. And when we do, I'll be sure to take revenge on them for you."

"How? You'll kill them?" She asked. "Kali, you're ten years old."

"So? I've managed to beat the almighty Tao Ren, haven't I? Not to mention that creepy doctor with the dead wife." She said.

"But those guys are skilled. They're armed and they seem to have known what they were doing. I believe in you as your spirit guardian and all but…you're only one person." She said. "Besides, you keep getting yourselves into all sorts of danger. Just look at yourself right now."

As Kali looked in the mirror, she realized there was a large wrap-around bandage around her head. It was even stained red which she assumed was the blood from the blow she received from that nasty fall.

"This is nothing," she dismissed. "I heal easily anyway."

"Look, why don't you just go and get yourself cleaned up before we catch up with the others?" Chi proposed. "They're out, trying to get some information about Patch Village."

"Alright," she nodded. "While I get freshened up, you should go and look for them and get back to me when you do."

"Aye-aye, boss." She saluted her playfully before dissolving into the air.

She chuckled slightly before entering the bathroom, where a bathtub filled with warm water was waiting for her.

Kali swallowed the lump in her throat as she took a few steps closer. She bent her knees and stared at the crystal-clear, unmoving water. She dared to put one finger in just to check the water when a lone drop from the faucet beat her to it. Such a small drop of liquid managed to arouse the water, making Kali jump back in surprise.

She couldn't do it. She just couldn't.

Closing her eyes, Kali put her arm in and felt around for the drain on the floor of the tub. When she found it, she hastily pulled it, instantly draining all the water.

The sound of the water being drained relieved her so much.

After calming herself down, she decided that a quick shower would do much better for her nerves instead of sitting in a tub full of water, soaking in her own filth.

* * *

**So, hallelujah. I finally got the chance to update.**

**So anyway, let me just explain a few things. I won't spoil anything but instead I'm going to guide you guys throughout the story.**

**You see, Kali keeps insisting that she's not afraid of anything. But as you can see in the final scene, it's implied that she has a fear of water, which prevented her from taking advantage of that warm bath waiting for her. But the fact that she claims she has no fear says that either Kali isn't aware of her phobia or she's in denial about it. Either way, it's a fear that seems to have developed a lot already, since she's even unwilling to get into a tub full of water. Anyway, this fear of hers will be explored as the story progresses.**

**Okay, about the character relationships. Obviously, Yoh cares very much for his sister but Kali seems to be just…_neutral_ about him, which means that she neither hates nor loves him. On the other hand, Ren and Kali seem to be born to be enemies. They despise each other, something very evident to everybody else.**

**Horohoro and Kali get along fairly well. But unfortunately, their relationship isn't really looked into very much, as well as Kali's relationship with Ryu.**

**Chikushou and Kali obviously have a stable relationship and it was revealed here that Chikushou was actually murdered at seventeen. They haven't identified her killer/s yet but they plan to.**

**So, to learn more, you just have to stay tuned for the next chapters.**

**Please remember that everything I explain in the author's note is not completely accurate. I am just elaborating on what's happening in the current chapter and what I meant for you to understand as you read it. But for sure, things _are_ going to change during the story. Character development, plot twists, new storylines; you'll be sure to find all of these soon.**


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